Portable refrigerating device



May 21, 1946. L.F. CLERC PORTABLE REFRIGERATING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1942 z'r'y v May 21, 1946. F. CLERC PORTABLE REFRIGERATING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 16, 1942 R ga 32%; wm W May 21, 1946. LER 2,400,742

' PORTABLE REFRIGERATING DEVICE v Filed Nov. 16, 1942 s 'Shee ts-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. LEONARD CLERC ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1946 NT OFFICE PORTABLE REFRIGEBATING DEVICE Leonard F. Clerc, Chicago, Ill. I

Application November 16, 1942, Serial No. 465,655

Claims. (01. 62-915) This invention relates to refrigerating devices, and has particular reference to a portable refrigerator, which employs solid carbon dioxide or dry ice as the refrigerant.

An object of the invention is to provide a portable domestic refrigerating device of the character referred to, which may be used in small apartments, trailers, boats and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable domestic refrigerator which is inexpensive to manufacture, light in weight, and one which can be manufactured without using critical materials needed in the war effort.

Another object of theinvention is the provision of a compact, portable refrigerator which employs dry ice as the refrigerant, and has'a wet ice compartment for making ice cubes, which compartment is readily accessible from the exterior of the structure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a portable refrigerating device, which is constructed in two separate sections, whereby the individual sections may be interchanged with other sections to effect increased utility.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a refrigerating device of the character mentioned, which is constructed in separable sections and is provided with a removable cooling control assembly, which is mounted between, and is secured in position by the said separable sections.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention. v

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 4 is a modified form of the device.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the control assembly.

I Referring now more particularly to the drawings it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed, my device consists of a trunk like structure comprising an upper section 5, and a lower section 6, each 'being made of a tough fibrous material, reinforced at the corners and edges as at I, and secured together with trunk locks 8.

Each section 5 and 6 (Figs. 2 and 3) is lined with double layers of insulating pads 9. which are constructed and assembled as disclosed in my copending application S. N. 441,431, filed May 2,

1942. The pads 9 are covered with canvas. and are waterproofed and secured in place by marine glue or similar means. i

The lower section 6 has a door II) which opens into the storage compartment I I (Figs. 2 and 3) and. the upper section 5 has a door I 2, which opens into the dry ice compartment I3. A

smaller door I 4 also opens into the dry ice compartment l3, through which the wet ice trays I5 are inserted and removed.

Interposed between the sections 5 and 6 (Figs. 2 and 3) is a control assembly I6, which is fully disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial Number 465,656, filed Novemberlfi, 1942. j The control assembly I6: forms, no part of this inventiomexcept as it is herein combined with the other elements of my device.

Broadly the control assembly I6 consists of several apertured layers of a plastic material arranged so that one layer SA may be moved relatively to the others, so that the apertures may be moved into and out of alignment, whereby the flow of CO2 gas from the dry ice compartment may be controlled. The control assembly I6 is supported at either end in offsets I 1 formed in the liners 9 of the lower section 6, and is held against upward displacement by the liners 9 of the upper section 5.

The control assembly I6 is provided on top with a spaced platform I8, which serves as a support for the dry ice." And from the bottom of the assembly I6 there depends a plastic baflie I9, which serves to evenly diffuse the CO2 gas which escapes through the apertures of the control assembly I6. The wet ice trays I5 rest on the assembly I6, and are held in position by the guides 20, which are secured to the under side of the platform I8.

Secured to the inside surface of the liners 9, in spaced relation as at 2|, are panels 22, which are adapted to provide air spaces for the circulation of air and CO2 gas. The side and back panels 22, of both sections 5 and 6, extend to the control assembly I6, and the control assembly I5 is provided with additional apertures as at 23A, to permit the warmer air from the lower section 6 to pass through the control assembly I6 and enter the upper section '5, back of the panels 22. This functions as follows: 1

As the cold CO2 gas enters the lower section 6 through the apertures in the control assembly I6, the warmer air will be caused to rise back of the panels 22, and will pass through the apertures 23 in the assembly I6 and will enter the upper section 5, back of the panels 22, andwill spill over the top of the panels 22 on to the top of the dry ice. This will effect a perfect circulation of the air and CO2 gas between the sections 5 and 6 and. will insure more effective refrigeration.

The control assembly 16 is adjusted by means of a control lever 24, which is accessible through "the door H! of the lower section 6.

' section, spaced means carried by said panel for The control mechanism 3| is similar to that disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and functions as described previously. The dry ice platform 32 in this instance is lower than shown in the previous views, but functions the same. i

In this embodiment the compartments 2'! and 23 are provided with passageways 33 at the top and similar ones at the bottom which communie cate with the refrigerant compartment 26, so that these compartments may be maintained at a much lower temperature than is desired for the general storage compartment in the lower section BA.

7 The compartments 2! and 28 are closed by the hinged doors 34 and 35 through which the compartments are accessible from the exterior Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of upper and lower insusupporting a solid refrigerant such as dry ice, and spaced means carried below said panel for uniformly diffusing the gas produced by the sublimation of said solid refrigerant.

.frigerant such as dry ice, spaced means carried below said panel for uniformly diffusing the gas produced by the sublimation of said solid refrigerant, and panels spaced from the inside walls'of said sections, and adapted to provide air spaces back of, said panels, said air spaces being positioned so as to communicate with marginal apertures formed in said control panel.

3. The combination defined in claim 1; including means for securing said sections and said panel in predetermined relation.

4. The combination defined in claim 1, in which said control panel is arranged to support water ice trays, below. said first named spaced means.

5. The combination defined in claim 1, in which said control panel is arranged to support water ice trays, below said first named spaced means, and there being an opening in the wall of said upper section arranged to permit said water ice trays to be removed without disturbing the contents of either said upper section or said lower section.

LEONARD F. CLERC. 

